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Elmira Notre Dame senior catcher/outfielder Erik Charnetski is a prime example of making the most of your opportunities.

Whether it's getting his dad to pitch to him during a pandemic or bouncing back from elbow surgery to catch the attention of his future college coach, Charnetski has overcome difficult situations to earn his way to Rochester's St. John Fisher College, where he will continue a baseball career interrupted this spring by the coronavirus pandemic.

Charnetski, 18, joined family and coaches for a limited signing ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the school to celebrate his accomplishment. Despite the disappointment of seeing his final high school season canceled, Charnetski has done what he can to stay sharp as a baseball player while finishing his Notre Dame days remotely.

"It means everything, because without my parents and without the support of my immediate family, I wouldn’t have been able to get where I am today," he said of signing. "Sometimes I even joke that my dad deserves it even more than I do because of all the hours he puts in throwing (batting practice) and playing catch and hitting me fly balls and just doing whatever I’ve got to do to be the best player I can be."

Instead of perhaps ending his career with a run at a league or sectional title, Charnetski has been limited to mostly playing ball at the Elmira home he shares with his parents, Dr. Carl Charnetski and Karen Charnetski. Erik has been hitting off a tee in the basement and weight training with dumbbells, kettlebells and resistance bands, with a rare trip to a batting cage.

"I'm still working out, preparing for whenever the next time I can step on a field is," he said.

He has missed being around his team and evolving his game.

"The biggest thing that kind of hurts me the most about baseball is missing out on another year under the leadership of coach (Shaun) Merrill," Charnetski said. "There were kind of a lot of things I feel I can learn from home. But it’s not necessarily the end of the world, because at the end of the day, coach Merrill and I have been through a lot together, even though we’ve only known each other about a year now. I know I’ll always be able to turn to him if I ever have any questions or if I’m unsure about things and things are looking bleak, because he always has the right answers."

Unable to swing the bat, Charnetski had wrist surgery at the start of his junior season. His still found a way to contribute, notably laying down a game-winning bunt against Waverly on a day he couldn't swing the bat.

By the end of the season, he was driving in runs regularly with full swings. During the summer, he decided to participate in showcases and camps rather than play travel baseball. At the PBR (Prep Baseball Report) Uncommitted Senior Games, he drew the attention of St. John Fisher coach Brandon Potter.

"(He) just told me to give him a call if I could that night, and he talked with me for about an hour," Charnetski said. "He was very engaging, and that was my first call with a coach. I was a bit nervous. I wasn't sure what to say, but he made it super easy. He was super approachable, and he really warmed me up to the idea that St. John Fisher was somewhere I could be."

The timing of the pandemic is both fortunate and unfortunate for seniors. The obvious negative side is they're losing their final season, while the bright side is most recruiting for sports such as baseball and softball takes place before the senior year. Showcases and camps are much more likely to get a player noticed than a high school game

Charnetski said he feels for juniors who are hindered now, though he adds technology, particularly video, still makes it possible to get recruited.

Baseball was one of three sports at Notre Dame for Charnetski, who also played basketball and football. He quarterbacked the Crusaders to Section 4 and intersectional eight-man titles as a junior. During his senior season, he completed 60 of 114 passes for 17 touchdowns and 1,186 yards, with just two interceptions, while also excelling at linebacker. Charnetski earned all-state honors both seasons and showed the talent to play college football. However, baseball is his preferred sport, and St. John Fisher became his preferred college.

"Baseball has been a big passion of mine for most of my life, so I’ve wanted to take that next step and play at the next level, but that wasn’t going to be the end all, be all for me," Charnetski said. "I still wanted a school that was going to offer me a high level of education so I could move on and get a good career in the future. Thankfully, St. John Fisher just fit that description perfectly, and I feel very comfortable attending.

"A smaller school setting is what I’m used to being at Notre Dame. I’m really welcoming this idea that I’m going to be going to a small school and playing at a high level of baseball, because St. John Fisher has a very good reputation of being a successful program."

The Division III Cardinals posted a 7-4 record in the abbreviated 2020 season after putting up a 29-14 record in 2019, falling to Ithaca College in the Empire 8 championship game. Fellow Empire 8 member Elmira College is a regular foe.

Charnetski plans to major in psychology and take a pre-chiropractic course load. His grandfather, also named Dr. Carl Charnetski, teaches psychology at Wilkes University, and Erik's dad majored in psychology before attending medical school. Erik credits Notre Dame psychology teacher John Olisky with also inspiring him to pursue that path of study.

Notre Dame's Isaiah McKay runs to first on a sacrifice bunt as Waverly catcher Montana Davis throws him out during an IAC division tiebreaker in baseball May 9, 2019 at Notre Dame High School. Andrew Legare/Elmira Star-Gazette

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Perhaps the only advantage of being isolated is Charnetski has been able to focus on his individual baseball skills.

"The biggest thing about it is just going to be putting in the time and being confident in myself," he said of the jump to college baseball. "In the past facing injuries and even when I was younger, before I even had the same type of work ethic, kind of being an average player. I'm fairly well motivated, too. I don't have a hard time going out and doing some running and lifting some weights, just doing what I have to do to make sure I'm at my best."